4wd question

[2000xjclassic]

Ok so when I shift from 4HI to 2HI I can feel that four wheel drive disengages, but I can still quietly hear something rotating. For example pulling back onto the street I can feel that there is no binding or anything but as I get up to speed I can still hear something near the transfer case rotating than after a little bit (maybe 30 seconds to a minute later) the sound stops. It doesn't seem like anything is wrong, I'm just kind of curious as to what is going on. This is on a 2000 xj w/ np231, three inches of lift, and 31's if that matters.

Thanks
Chris

 

[RCP Phx]

Ok so when I shift from 4HI to 2HI I can feel that four wheel drive disengages, but I can still quietly hear something rotating. For example pulling back onto the street I can feel that there is no binding or anything but as I get up to speed I can still hear something near the transfer case rotating than after a little bit (maybe 30 seconds to a minute later) the sound stops. It doesn't seem like anything is wrong, I'm just kind of curious as to what is going on. This is on a 2000 xj w/ np231, three inches of lift, and 31's if that matters.

Thanks
Chris

You maybe hearing things because everything in the transfer case rotates all the time anyway!

 

[ahm]

new XJ's only lock and unlock in transfer case, not the hubs or front axle. Everything continues to rotate.
goodluck

 

[maine96xj]

my Xj seems to bind a little wether its in 4 wheel or not. i know the transfer case has disengaged but all the time when i take turns sharp, into parking spaces etc, i hear wheel hop and it binds a little , do all of them do this because the front axle is always engaged or is this a problem, diff fluid in the front is fine too i ckecked it the other day

 

[2000xjclassic]

There is really no problem it is just strange.

Thanks
Chris

 

[maine96xj]

anybody have input on the binding up a little in 2hi

 

[UNCC_99XJ]

anybody have input on the binding up a little in 2hi

If you are experiencing binding in 2wd, then you have a problem.

I would check the fluid in the tcase just to be safe, but for some reason this is making me think you have a u-joint (or more than one) going bad.

 

[maine96xj]

which u joints going bad do you think would cause this?

 

[Blaine B.]

I have a similar thing, a wheel will sort of jump when making tight turns in 2wd into a parking spot or whatever. I know my wheel bearing is making noise and the U joints have some play, so I'm pretty sure it's all related!

 

[UNCC_99XJ]

which u joints going bad do you think would cause this?

It's hard to say. Do a search on here for "testing u-joints", and go out and test them to see which ones it might be.

 

[a7273chargerguy]

It's hard to say. Do a search on here for "testing u-joints", and go out and test them to see which ones it might be.

there's no real test.take em' of and spin the caps.if they don't spin freely,replace.don't use the cheapo's either.go to a driveshaft comp. or napa.

 

[Rick Anderson]

I have almost NO experience with 4WD, so take this with a grain of salt.

PRE-LOAD, maybe that has some effect. When in 4WD, your driving the front drivetrain, that means the driveshaft out of the XFER case on is now applying torque to the wheels. Any slack in the system is taken up and everything is twisted with the drive/torque coming from the XFER case.

Shift out of 4WD and go into 2WD, the wheels spinning on the road now applies the torque to the rest of the drivetrain up to the XFER case. The PRE-LOAD is now reversed. All the slack in the system is taken up in the opposite direction as the torque is applied in the opposite direction.

There are a lot of gears and u-joints in the drivetrain to make some slack, I would think this would happen in a matter of a seconds. BUT, maybe not, thick oil, warm parts, LSD, may offer some resistance and the slack reverses slowly over 30 seconds are so. The PRE-LOAD can change the noise from gears and joints quite a bit.

The tire chirping in tight turn in Parking lots, I'd agree, check your U-Joints, they could bind some and be the cause. BUT, do you have a Limited Slip Differential (LSD)? That may also be part of it, extremly slow speed at extreme tight turns, the LSD may make more resistance than the tires and thus make the tires slip a bit.

 

[maine96xj]

umm i dont think i have an LSD stock DANA30 front axle. 4.0,aw4,np231 1996

 

[maine96xj]

how can i check those u joints? becuase its not a limited slip diff. right?

 

[AlohaBra]

Ok so when I shift from 4HI to 2HI I can feel that four wheel drive disengages, but I can still quietly hear something rotating. For example pulling back onto the street I can feel that there is no binding or anything but as I get up to speed I can still hear something near the transfer case rotating than after a little bit (maybe 30 seconds to a minute later) the sound stops. It doesn't seem like anything is wrong, I'm just kind of curious as to what is going on. This is on a 2000 xj w/ np231, three inches of lift, and 31's if that matters.

Thanks
Chris

Let's keep it simple, is the shifter linkage setup correctly.
You say it is lifted, did you do a TC drop? That will change the angle and adjustment to your 4WD linkage.

Normally, I shift into 2WD BEFORE I get onto pavement. Then, I let up on the gas so the gears can get unmeshed. Then, I will load up on it. By the time I get to pavement, I know it is out of 4HI....

Hope this helps..

 

[SpazMoid]

Let's keep it simple, is the shifter linkage setup correctly.
You say it is lifted, did you do a TC drop? That will change the angle and adjustment to your 4WD linkage.

Normally, I shift into 2WD BEFORE I get onto pavement. Then, I let up on the gas so the gears can get unmeshed. Then, I will load up on it. By the time I get to pavement, I know it is out of 4HI....

Hope this helps..

x2

If you didn't drop the T-Case with the lift, that will be an issue, also I work for Castrol and know a bit about LSD... I'd try going and purchasing some RedLine Limited Slip Additive, and putting in int he front Diff. Also you should be using a Synthetic 75-90w gear oil, not the cheap 80-90w conventional gear oil. The Synthetic has limited slip already added, but i'd put an extra small bottle in just to make sure.

 

[maine96xj]

so the front diff is limited slip? in the dana 30

 

[fubar XJ]

so the front diff is limited slip? in the dana 30

Not in stock form. I don't even know of any XJ's with the factory Trak-Loc in the rear, though it may have been available. All the ones I've seen or heard of are open front and rear from the factory.

 

[jater]

Here's another thought about the tight turn low speed wheel hop. My XJ did this for years after I bought it. It turned out to be an alignment thing. I didn't notice it at all at high speeds because the wheel was never turned that much. But when it was, like when pulling into parking spaces and expecially in rough parking lots with a little but of loose gravel, there was tire chirp and a jump as one tire would finally slip much like if 4wd was still engaged even though I was in 2wd. So, if you are concerned about trying to figure out about ubolts, consider an alignment if it's been a long time. That might take care of it.

 

[Blaine B.]

Like I said I get a hop or whatever at full lock tight turns. But I got an alignment too just to be sure. He said all it needed was a slight adjustment, but the hop/bind/whatever is still there.....